House of World Cultures

One day, the air conditioner in our room ceased to function. The hotel staff was unable to repair it, and unfortunately, they did not provide us with an alternative room. Consequently, we spent an entire night without air conditioning, which was an unpleasant experience. Additionally, our reservation included a room with a bathtub in the toilet; however, we were assigned a room without it.

We enjoyed staying at this property. The location was great for our needs. The hotel is located close to the tram, and the central metro station, which made it easy for us to get anywhere we wanted. The only thing we weren't used to was that we got one free bag of coffee the first morning we were there, but for any additional nights we stayed, we had to pay for our own coffee after that. Whenever we stay at a hotel in North America, we would get a package of coffee each day. This is something we had to get used to, but just thought we would comment as it was new to us

the Birgit is located in what was East Berlin, which means that the building and those around it haven't been bulldozed and rebuilt after the Wall fell. Also, there are nearby tram lines. It is in the Mitte area, north of the Spree River, so within tram, walk, or Uber reach of the river, the museum island. Across the street is a elementary school, and the noise of kids playing is a nice touch. As expected, the room is quite small, but there is a balcony, and there is working a/c unit in the room. No room safes but the staff was kind enough to store passports etc in their secure area. The breakfast is sufficient, there is a nice garden area, as well as wicker chairs in front. The hotel is eclectic (and Rick Steves recommendation). We're glad we took his advice. Also, the small sitting area serves as a bar, if so inclined. Excellent Asian food 50 meters away. Hokey Pokey ice cream nearby, as is the oldest beer garden in Berlin. What's not to like?